As he repeated this gesture along our long route, even walking half a block out of our way to greet and hand yet another homeless person a couple of bucks, I noticed Doug's right pocket was bulging with what could only be one dollar bills. I didn't ask him about this ritual, preferring to know that Doug just did this 2-buck thing every day.

Finally, and as if in another world altogether, we entered this stunning building and were soon going over infinite details of our case in his impressive office.

Suffice it to say although this case was settled somewhat satisfactorily in end run, this initial hearing did not go well. After hearing and while Doug was in chambers with judge and principle lawyers trying to negotiate a fair settlement, other participants/all on other side (some came with an entourage) gathered into hallway. I made my way to each one of them and offered my apologies for having to have them and their clients involved. They all accepted. Even defendant's high-powered father was understanding and exceptionally cordial. We started chatting about sports and he even made some off-the-record remarks about his arrogant offspring.

While this conversation was taking place, a loud voice angrily bounced off marble walls, "So dad, you switching sides now? " My former musical friend was now in hall, obviously witnessing his dad and myself acting civilly. I walked over and with a simple gesture of peace, offered my hand to him. It was readily and violently slapped away.

I am what I feel most would say, a peace-loving, passive human being. But having physical sting of an assault like this brought instinctual animal out in me, to defend, and I began to react accordingly . . . good thing for Dad who rushed to scene and ushered his son back into courtroom.

Doug soon emerged with bad news that anything approximating a fair settlement was not going to happen this day. That disappointed me, but didn't seem to surprise my esteemed lawyer, as he assured me that we would need to apply more pressure in due course. Not a nice business.

After our *tough day at office*, Doug was soon digging back into his right pocket on our way back to parking lot, even placing currency into hands of some of same indigents. I then came to conclusion that they weren't all strangers.

We pulled in to get some gas just around corner from parking lot and were standing at pumps when a disheveled fellow approached us. This time it was me who engaged him in conversation. He was a Vietnam veteran with a severe chip on his shoulder and he seemed to be glad just to have someone to listen.

As if by magic, penniless me turned to Doug, who, with a big smile had his arm outstretched with 2 dollar bills just dangling for me to take.

My thoughts immediately ran back to several months before when I encountered a homeless man begging on downtown Detroit street that led to tunnel to Canada when I was returning home from a meeting with my Michigan attorney. I had a few U.S. dollars in my pocket and handed them to this man, but, with following, loudly spoken condition: "this is for food, not booze!"

But, this was not way Doug gave - he gave as Giving should always be – without condition. So, into hand of this man went my 2 bucks along with my most sincere wish - "Good Luck!" He hobbled away, mumbling to himself.

Doug and I have remained friends over years. We exchange email and he sends me a Christmas card every year as well as his articles that have been published in top law journals.

His giving though, went well beyond helping those souls on street.

In end, and with final decision left totally to me, we made a settlement agreement that would not even come close to compensating me and my music partner for having created a song that was a vital part of such a successful, worldwide recording project, and he, for ALL his time, effort and expertise in trying to get justice for me and my music partner. In Doug's heart-of-hearts, he knew it would simply end great stress that this case represented for me at this totally tumultuous period of time. And that was good enough for him.

I've never made mention to Doug of our long walk to and from office in all this time but I fully suspect he still leaves home each day with a pocketful of one dollar bills, parks far from his office so that he can bring a little joy into lives of less fortunate, and, takes on clients that are in same position as I was a decade ago.

In other words Giving - as Giving should always be.

© Rick Beneteau

Henry Ford thought success thoughts.

Thomas Edison thought success thoughts.

Tony Robbins and Donald Trump think success thoughts, each and every day, as often as they can!

As human beings, we are all subject to slacking off, and no person can honestly remain in totally “positive mode” every second of every waking hour. However, simple yet powerful rule is that your thoughts dictate what happens to you, not only in business, but also in your personal life. Think good thoughts – get good things in return. Think GREAT thoughts – get GREAT results! Change your belief system – change your results!

Don’t believe me?

Here’s what Henry Ford had to say on subject: “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right!”

Modern day master motivator Tony Robbins chimes in: “If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.” (this HAS to make sense to you:-)

Famous author, Dr. Joyce Brothers, offers this pearl: “Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.”

The Reverend Robert Schuller says: “The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking.”

Donald Trump has it: “If you're going to be thinking, you may as well think big.”

I wouldn’t dare put myself into same category as above icons but I can tell you in no uncertain terms that EVERY time I have reaped financial benefits and personal satisfaction from having a project become successful, I WAS thinking “right stuff”!

Reflecting back on my entrepreneurial path, I can see that almost every time a project failed, I was not “in-tune” with universe nor was I “thinking success thoughts”. I was thinking limiting, negative thoughts, such as how much money I was spending developing project or how much time was being spent to complete it or worse, visualizing it as a failure, which is exactly what it became!

This is no coincidence. It’s a Universal Law. Change your thinking – change your results!

Even The Bible says it’s so: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. [Proverbs 23:7]”

So, burning question becomes: “Can YOU Think Your Way to Top!?”

And here’s real answer: “YES, You CAN Think Your Way to Top by thinking very same success thoughts as world’s most successful entrepreneurs!”

Let me leave you with chorus lyrics of a song I co-wrote called “I Will” with hope they will begin to get you thinking right stuff!:

I Will because I can I’ll Do cause I believe The strength I need to make change Is deep inside of me I’ll Walk where I have crawled I will Run til I can fly My wings will fill my dreams will soar The moment that I say I Will

Here’s to seeing You at Top!

© Rick Beneteau